A Snowy Visit
by jedimasterstar
Summary: Mara Everson was visiting her Uncle Mac when it decided to snow. But a case takes up Mac's time. can a trip to the park and a homemade igloo clear his mind? Rated T to be safe.


**Hello! This is my first posting to this fandom. Please be nice and tell me if it is okay - I've been unsure about this.**

**This one-shot features my OC, Mara Everson (you'll see her connection to Mac in the story). I wrote this for a writing challenge at LiveJournal and decided to post it here to see how it goes (the prompt was _igloo_). You won't see much of the case here - it's mostly through Mara's POV.**

**Summary:** Mara Everson is visiting her father's friend Mac Taylor and helps him put a case into perspective. Slight mention of _The Da Vinci Code _movie.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _CSI: NY_ nor do I own Robert Langdon. I only own Mara.

**A/N:** I am pretending that Mac also spent part of his teenage years in New Hampshire and knew Langdon. I am also basing Langdon off of Tom Hanks's performance. Oh, and this is set in December 2005 (I don't know if it snowed or not then – it just sounded good for this story). "Dr. Hartfield" is featured in another story featuring Mara that you can find under the _Highlander_ category or my profile page.

* * *

"I can't believe I had to visit you when it snowed," complained Mara Everson as she stared out the window of her uncle's apartment. Well, adopted uncle. Her father Robert Langdon and Mac Taylor lived next door to each other while living in New Hampshire and became fast friends. When Mac moved, they kept in contact and visited each other when they could. Mac was there when she was born and was there for her when her parents split. He became her uncle in every sense of the word and loved him like a second father. And now she came to visit him. Right when a snowstorm occurred.

Mac looked at the window and replied, "At least it happened _after_ you got here. I would never hear the end of it if something happened to you." Mara giggled – her father was notorious of being a little overprotective of her. After her trip to Vermont this past October, she felt a bit more confident about herself and tried to make the most of her life. Thus a trip to New York to clear her head. But so far, Mac had to work but promised to spend the evening with her. "I have to get to work. You can come by later, if you want," he said as he grabbed his coat and headed for the door.

"Don't forget about tonight. Who knows, maybe we'll play in the snow," she called after him, a smile appearing on her face. He looked back, smiled, and left, closing the door behind him. Mara looked back to the window and sighed. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

Mara hung around the apartment until lunch and decided to head down to the crime lab. Once she arrived, she got herself checked in and had a visitor's tag clipped to her shirt. She proceeded to enter the elevator and hit the button to get her to the 35th floor. When she heard the familiar ping, she exited the elevator and looked around. This was a recent remodel (to her) and it looked nice. "Hey, Mara!" cried a familiar voice.

Turning her head, she smiled when she saw Stella Bonasera coming towards her. Stella was the assistant lab supervisor and a good friend. Stella, during Mara's previous visits, had taken out shopping and to some museums. "Hey, Stella," she greeted as she hugged the older woman.

"I would stay and chat, but this case needs my attention," apologized Stella as the younger woman smiled and nodded. "Mac's in autopsy right now, so just wait in his office," she added as she walked off.

Mara quickly found her uncle's office easily enough and settled in on the couch. Knowing she was going to be waiting a while, she pulled out a book, sat back, and began to read. Soon, though, she began to doze off, the book falling onto her lap. She did not sleep long however, because something kept tickling her noise. Swatting at it, she slowly opened her eyes to see the mischievous eyes and goofy grin of one Danny Messer. "Danny," she warned.

"Mara! You're up!" he said he took a seat next to her. "When did you get in?" he asked.

Slowly sitting up, she replied, "Last night. I'll be in town for the next couple weeks."

Danny nodded and would have replied when his pager went off. "Damn," he mumbled as he looked at it.

"Bad case?" she asked.

"Bad enough for all of us to be on it," he answered as he gave her a quick peck on the cheek and walked out. Mara picked up her book to read some more when she heard someone enter the office.

Still dark and handsome, Sheldon Hawkes looked preoccupied with the file in his hands as he looked at it one more time and put in on the desk. "Uncle Mac will probably be here in a little bit if you want to wait," she said, smiling in pleasure as Hawkes jumped a little.

He turned in her direction and smiled. "Hey, Mara! Heard a rumor that you were in town. Has been pleasant so far?" he asked.

"Pretty much. You okay, though? Things bad down in autopsy?" she wondered.

He smiled more. "I guess Mac didn't tell you. I transferred out of autopsy. I'm a CSI," he replied.

"Really? I guess he did forget to mention that," she said. Mara then sighed. "I guess I won't see much of him for a couple days. I heard a rumor that you guys are on a tough case," she said.

"Actually, we may wrap it up soon. I was just delivering my final report on my last case," replied Hawkes. Ruffling her hair, he added, "Stay out of trouble."

"Who should stay out of trouble?" came a new voice. Mara laughed as she recognized it as Don Flack's. A native New Yorker, he has shown her more of New York than she ever thought she would. Hearing her laugh, he looked in her direction and smiled wide. "Hey, Shortie! Didn't know you were here," he greeted as he pulled her into a hug.

"Good to see ya, Donnie," she returned when he set her back on the ground. Don was tall, with dark messy hair and brown eyes that reminded her of his half-brother. "Have you talked to Aaron recently?" she asked.

"Nah, not yet. Should though. Don't want to get a visit from my FBI brother," he answered as Hawkes waved goodbye and left. Don pulled up a chair and sat across from me. "Have to wait for Mac. Got some news for him and he's not answering his phone," he explained.

"That's odd for him," wondered Mara.

"The chief has been on him on this one," he replied as he seamlessly steered the conversation toward pleasant topics. They talked about his family, his work, and her recent crisis. "You sound like you had it rough," commented Flack as she finished.

"For a while, yeah, but Dr. Hartfield seem to bring one or two things into perspective," agreed the young woman. Don was the easiest one to talk to. He knew things that Stella did not know. The only other one who knew more was Mac.

Hearing his familiar voice drifting through the open door, the two current occupants turned as Mac and an unfamiliar woman with short brown hair walked in. "Do you think you can pull DNA off that shirt?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered.

"Whose shirt?" asked Flack as he joined the two, with Mara remaining on the couch.

"Jason Ricker's. We can prove that he was at the park; but we can't prove that he was with the victim when she died," answered Mac. Looking at Flack, he asked, "What's you got?"

"Tina Young was _not_ at the Hilton last night," the detective replied. "But she was there the night before, drunk and yelling something in Latin. I think it was '_aut viam inveniam aut faciam_'."

"What does that mean?" asked the woman.

" 'Either I shall find a way, or I shall make one'," Mara replied. Three heads turned their heads to her as she continued, "Hannibal said that when he was told that it was impossible to cross the Alps by elephant."

"Mara, when did you get here?" asked Mac.

"I'd like to know how she knew that," retorted Don.

Mara rolled her eyes and replied, "I got here about an hour ago. And I learned the phrase in high school history. I looked it up for a research project."

"Whose this?" asked the confused lady CSI.

"Sorry. Lindsey Monroe, this is Mara Everson, a daughter of a friend of mine," answered Mac as he looked back down at his file.

"Hello," greeted Mara as she shook Lindsay's hand.

"Hello to you too. You researched that for a project?" she asked.

"No choice. We were studying Italy at the time. I prefer ancient Greek," retorted Mara as she went back to her book.

Mac looked at her more closely before saying: "Flack, bring Tina in. Lindsay, get to that DNA." The two nodded and left. Mac turned back to his niece and said, "I can't make it to our evening out…"

"Don't even go there," she warned.

"Mara," he said sternly.

"But you promised," she complained. "Besides, getting out of the lab may help your mind think clearly."

Before he could respond, Stella walked in and interrupted with: "She's right. It may help if you get out for a while. The others and I are going to take a break too. Spend some time with Mara."

Mac looked at each of the women and sighed. "I know I'm going to lose this one. Come on, Mara. Let's eat and go to the park," he responded as the younger woman squealed and dragged her uncle out of the office as he grabbed his coat.

* * *

After eating at a small café, Mac and Mara walked arm-in-arm through Central Park. "The chief really harassing you that bad?" she asked.

"The case involves a high-power politician and higher powers want results," he replied.

"Ouch," she said as they passed a small clearing. "It snowed pretty good this time," she commented, looking at the winter wonderland around her.

He smiled. "More than usual," he responded. Looking toward another small clearing, he pointed and said, "Looks like someone started to build an igloo."

"With this snow? They would need snow that is more wind-blown. The ice crystals need to be more compacted and interlocked," said Mara as they wandered over to it. It was half-way completed, though slightly misshapen. "They gave it a good try. See, they tried to use cardboard to hold it up. Not practical, since the cardboard would break with the weight, but…" Mara picked up some snow and began to fill in some of the exposed areas. After a few minutes, her prediction proved correct as the cardboard gave way and the structure collapsed.

Mac laughed. "You gave it your best shot," he praised as he saw his niece gaze into the distance.

"Yeah, but someone managed to do it," she replied as they both looked in the direction she was looking in. Behind some trees stood a perfectly constructed igloo. "It has a nice shape and a large enough opening. And it looks like they brought in their own snow," she observed as they both walked up to it. A thought came into to mind and she gave a slight grin to her companion. "Wanna go in?" she asked.

Mac gave it some thought and nodded. "Why not? We got some time before the chief gets mad enough and calls me again," he replied as he followed Mara into the igloo. It was roomy and big enough for them to stretch out.

"My butt is going to be wet. But if it means spending more time with you, then it's worth the sacrifice," she said as she settled in next to him. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close to him. "I think you work too hard sometimes. Has anyone told you that?" she asked, resting her head against his shoulder.

"Stella probably mentioned it once or twice," he answered.

"You do need to lighten up sometimes. You can be too strict," she retorted.

Mac chuckled. "Your father has said that about me before. One time he tricked me into eating a pineapple. But he shaped it and food-dyed it into looking like an apple. And I fell for it!" he told her as he smiled at the memory. "He said that there are times to be serious and times to have fun. I guess I just don't put it into practice."

"That's why you have me," said Mara as she smiled up at him.

He smiled back and adjusted his jacket. "It's pretty warm in here," he commented.

"Igloos are meant to conserve heat. Some Inuit lay skins on the ground to help with the warming process. But some apparently just slept on the ground. A person can stay warm for days in here," she explained. "Sometimes it could change a person's body temperature. But that is just a guess."

"But it makes sense. It could give off a false time of death if the opening is opened to long," mumbled Mac as he thought about it.

Mara looked at him and asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Our victim was found inside an igloo. She seemed to have changed body temperature rather quickly," he answered.

"Was the igloo outside or inside?"

"Inside."

"If the igloo was inside, it was probably a mock-up. Your perp may have kept her in a freezer and brought her out too quickly."

"But the igloo was inside an actual freezer."

"So she refroze. Simple as that," added the young woman as she snuggled in closer to him.

Mac thought about it and then said, "Why didn't we think about that before?"

"You guys were stuck in that lab all day with the chief of police and the mayor on your butts; so naturally you guys were too stressed to think that much," she replied. She looked up at him and asked, "Going back to the lab to test your theory?"

"Yeah," he answered as he kissed her forehead. "Come on, let me get you a cab. I'll be home later," he added as he crawled out. Mara just sat there for another minute before following him out.

* * *

Mac came home around 1am and found Mara lounging on the couch. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?" he asked as he took his coat off and sat in the armchair next to the couch.

"Couldn't sleep. Did you get him?" she asked.

He smiled. "Yeah we did. And you were right – she did refreeze," he told her.

"See? What I tell ya?"

"And to top it off, I agreed to take the weekend off," he revealed. She shot up like a bullet. "So I'm yours for the next two days," he added as his niece launched herself into his arms.

"I'm so happy," was all she could get out before she relaxed against him. Mac rubbed her back as Mara slowly fell asleep in his arms. Smiling, he picked her up gently and carried her into her room. He laid her down and left, leaving her to her dreams.


End file.
